1. The Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to cushioning devices, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to pillows or cushions that may be worn as sleeves over arm or leg extremities.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been proposed a multitude of devices with the objective of improving a person's comfort while at rest or sleep. Diverse and often contradictory devices have been devised and proposed. A host of mattresses, ornamental, therapeutic, and cervical pillows, supportive cushions, and other devices are known relating to the physical comfort of a person at sleep or rest.
Most of these devices claim to enhance the sleeping experience by imposing a specific, often ridged, sleep posture. However, to an extent, they each fail to provide for the normal and regular occurrence that, as reported by researchers, adult subjects change their position of sleep between 3 and 36 times per night. This change of position frequently places an arm or shoulder underneath the head or part of the torso, impeding the normal circulation of blood in the arms and causing them to “fall asleep” or become numb. Similarly, pressure from an upper leg may cause a lower leg, knee or ankle to become numb by impeding its normal circulation of blood. Some of the known prior art devices to date, seek to prevent or limit the normal and regular change in sleep postures, resulting in people fighting against or abandoning these “sleep aids” during their sleep.
Most therapeutic and cervical pillows focus on the position of the head and neck when sleeping, thereby forcing the sleeper into a supine, unmovable position. Other pillows accommodate a side sleeping posture and attempt to enhance arm and shoulder circulation by carving channels into the pillow itself thus limiting or isolating contact with the head or torso, which would impede extremity circulation. Such a method, however, forces the person into a restricted, fixed posture and hampers the normal and routine changes in sleep posture.
Some devices known in the art include open frame pillow and head support systems which may address arm circulation issues and accommodate some sleep posture changes. However, such systems relegate the person's posture to a few structured positions within, and sometimes against, the framework of the support structure.
Other known cushioning devices include block-like pillows which accommodate arm circulation and changing positions, but are often dependent upon reconfiguring the cushions to a self imposed ridged sleep posture, presenting the drawback of being impossible to reconfigure while sleeping.
Still other devices known in the art provide for elevating one or both arms, but do not address the circulation restriction problem of an arm lying beneath the head or torso.
Other known cushioning devices provide an ergonomic pillow assembly utilized to provide relaxing comfort and rest to a person having an upper torso problem with pain through the head, neck, and spinal regions. Such devices may provide for normal arm circulation, but like other devices, may disadvantageously impose a very specific sleep posture.
Accordingly, several features and advantages of the present disclosure are provided to enhance a person's comfort during sleep, or while at rest, giving them the freedom to move extremities at will, without depriving the protected (sleeved) portions of the extremities of vascular flow or circulation and without forcing a preconceived and inflexible “sleep posture”.
An additional feature of the present disclosure is that the device may be used as a companion pillow while resting or sleeping in a “cuddle posture,” where one person is in the supine position with an arm stretched out perpendicular to the body to enable the head of another person to use the arm as a pillow.
Another feature of the present disclosure is to use the assembled device as a unique support pillow under the back of the neck (cervical spine) when sleeping in the supine position. This may make for an ideal small portable pillow, which may also be useful in traveling, backpacking or camping.
Another feature of the present disclosure is to provide a device that may fit over one's knee to take the place of, or augment a pillow, frequently placed between the knees while laying horizontally on one's side, commonly used to relieve back strain or discomfort. The added advantage being that the lower knee's circulation (in a horizontal plane) may not be impeded by the upper knee or leg. Nor, if used singularly (without a conventional pillow) would there be a need to re-adjust the conventional pillow's position when changing sleep posture.
Another feature of the present device is to allow medical magnets to be incorporated within the device for pain therapy.
Also, the present device may be used as a sun bathing aid. Many sunbathers strive for an even tan on the sides of their body as well as their front and back. Worn over the arm, underneath the body, on or above the biceps muscle, the head can comfortably be placed on the device, acting as a cushion for the head. Since the body, primarily the head, may be covering the device there may be no interference from the device in blocking the rays of the sun. Additionally, since the materials used to construct the device may absorb very little water, suntan oil or other substances and can be easily cleaned, neither the device's function or its aesthetics may be materially compromised.
Another feature of the present disclosure is that the device may be worn at any location on either the upper or lower extremities as a protection guard worn during sports activities to help cushion and disperse the effect of an impact. Since the device can be virtually sized for any part of the upper or lower extremities, and the stretchable liner may allow the device to easily slip to the desired position on the arm or leg, yet retain its place at the desired position, it may be ideal for a quick on/off protection guard.
Still another feature of the present disclosure is that the device may be configured as a tapered cylinder, with a wider circumference to fit over the shoulder and a smaller circumference to bear against the upper arm. This device may include a cut out for under the arm, allowing the wider circumference to fit higher over the shoulder.
Another feature of the present disclosure is that the device may be sized to fit around the wrist and worn as a support aid for the wrist and hand while keyboarding or other similar activity to help prevent or lessen the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, wherein the sleeved wrist could rest on an object and maintain normal circulation.
It will also be understood that another feature of the present disclosure is that the present device may be constructed of a material that may be quite buoyant. Accordingly, the device may be used as a non-inflatable, partial flotation appliance worn high over the biceps muscles of each arm or around each thigh of the legs, or both, to improve the buoyancy of the body and minimize or eliminate treading water, or as an aid in learning to swim, or for water sport activities.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a sleeve cushion or pillow may comprise an adjustable semi-flexible cylindrical core, encased by a woven or knitted fabric liner and wrapped around the external circumference with a flexible cushion. The device may enable normal circulation to any portion of an upper or lower extremity that would otherwise be compromised by the weight of one's head, torso, or other body part bearing down, while providing a pillow-like effect for the overlying bearing body part.
The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.